Escalators on Aircraft Carriers
Вставка
- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- In this episode we're at Patriots Point on board USS Yorktown talking about their escalator.
To support Yorktown:
www.ussyorktow...
For more about the Historic Naval Ships Association:
HNSA.org
To support this channel and Battleship New Jersey:
www.battleship...
USS Oriskany was sunk to create an artificial reef and diving destination, and I have seen video of scuba divers swimming up the escalator. Great stuff as always, Ryan!
Been to the Hornet several times, always wondered why there was an escalator, honestly thought it was a museum era addition. great video as always!
Same here for Lexington.
same, some reason I never asked
Yup, visited Yorktown this past summer and I too thought it was a museum addition.
Nice bonus for escalators: generally if they break, they just become stairs so are still useable.
We had two escalators on USS Kitty Hawk, one forward, one aft. The forward escalator was nice and convenient for getting to the forward mess decks from the 03 level and saw a lot of use (just as a really long stairwell, they were never turned on). The aft escalator opened to a much less convenient section of the second deck and people who lived in the high up parts of the ship like me just used it to slide our division's laundry bags down as it was close to ship's laundry. Also, I've been told that under really heavy loads, such as immediately after calling battle stations, the sheer weight of sailors trying to go up the escalators (up direction only, they were both starboard side) would cause them to move down on their own.
I was on the the Kitty Hawk in '93-94 and don't remember any escalator's. Then again I worked in IM4 Division which was forward of the Hanger/Main deck.
I was on the Kitty during CQ off the coast of San Diego in '95. When I was there the escalators never worked. IIRC the ready rooms were on the second deck and the escalators went up to the O3 level. It's been a while though.
I was on Kitty Hawk 98-01 and I saw the escalator work twice all rest was off. But I was never in better shape going up and down to my work area.
I was on the Kitty Hawk with VS-37 '92-'94 and the easy way to the AO shop was the aft escalator. Pilots coming from the 2nd deck ready rooms used it quite often and it worked.
We turned the forward escalator on in '03.
We had so many on it at a later time that it started running backwards and I rode it down to the mess deck😂
My family toured the Yorktown last summer. It was a great experience! The staff and volunteers were so helpful and knowledgeable. Hats off to them all!
I served on an Essex class carrier, the USS Hancock, at the end of the Vietnam War. Touring the Yorktown brought back many memories.
I had worked with some former Navy guys in the 90s. They were saying about how hard it was to find your way around a carrier. Like 2 levels up, 3 over, 4 down, etc., etc. Apparently, the captain happened upon the machine shop at some point and didn't know he had one. Guy said he probably assumed it was an ammo or fuel space.
I find it hard to believe that the CO doesn't know that his ship doesn't have something like a machine shop. I know first hand that large deck Amphibs have an extensive machine shop as well as Arleigh Burke class DDGs. A CO has to work his way up through the ranks and while he might not know exactly where said machine shop (or other shop is at) they KNOW that there's one on a birdfarm!
@@dundonrl Carrier COs are former pilots who have some previous ship command experience, but are flyers at heart. A Skipper not knowing the location of a machine shop aboard a super carrier is easy to believe: we had 5,200 sailors aboard during my time and only a handful would know machine shop locations.
@@CAPTOFCCVA64 A CO not knowing the LOCATION of the machine shop is *possibly* believable, but a CO who was surprised that his ship had the ability to machine parts for repairs is a lot harder to imagine.
Been on Hornet's escalator, walked Lexington's escalator when she was active, we were told it never worked by the crew all through the 1980s and saw the Nimitz's island elevator for the officers. Cool stuff.
If you get the chance, CV-10 Yorktown and USS Laffey and the rest of Patriots Point is so worth checking out!
I think the watertight doors might pose a problem to a peoplemover down broadway.
That's gonna hurt the Shinns going through each watertight door...😅
I'll bet sailors on two feet would be moving faster than it would be safe to run a "people mover". As crew stepped on it, they might fall over as the deck moves out from under them. Add the rockin' and a rollin' and I think this "people mover" turns into a bad idea real quick.
Also what if a heavy piece of equipment had to be moved from point A to point B down Broadway would the people mover handle that load
Nah, even in airports they need to be built in segments anyways, so it wouldn't really interfere. You just have them between the bulkheads.
@@RRose-ie8oh huh? It's just an additive thing. You don't need to have it moving faster than a running speed to speed up how fast everyone's moving (and you can run on them to REALLY get moving if you need to be somewhere in a hurry).
I'm not sure I've understood your point.
The escalator on the Hornet actually works. We only use it for physically challenged individuals to get to the Flight Deck
I thought I heard someone say it worked when I was there touring with my Uncle. Alameda is so close I need to go again.
according to the sign, the Yorktown's escalator still works too, they just don't run it because the gaps are too big for modern safety codes
Gaps between the steps? If that is the case it’s the step chains/racks on the unit that have stretched with age. The chains on escalators naturally wear out and stretch. Eventually the gap between the steps grows too large and the unit needs to be rechained. Not an impossible task, but damn expensive. I work on old Haugton escalators that are still in service today, probably went through a dozen chain sets, and a bull gear or three in that time. But they are still legal.
Also running an escalator requires at minimum quarterly maintenance visits which can cost thousands a year to remain licensed for use.
Way cheaper to leave them off permanently.
My family toured the Lexington while she was visiting NS Mayport during the 60's? I remember the escalator and being served hot biscuits from one of the galleys and a nickel soda machines the dispensed into paper cups.. I was very young at the time and was impressed by the the all the amenities. I was in awe of the flight deck being made of wood over steel. Seemed like an anachronism to me at the time, steel ships with wooden decks.
Visited USS Hornet recently and was surprised to find this exact feature. Thanks for the explanation!!
I used the escalator many times daily on Hornet, Wasp, and Ticonderoga between 1970 and 1972. As a flight troubleshooter, I carried a belt pack of essential tools. Our squadron (VS-35) anti submarine, still has our Ready Room displayed aboard CVS-12 Hornet on their museum website.
I worked for Otis Elevator Company in the 1980's into the mid 1990's and yes, both Otis, Dover and Westinghouse provided elevators and escalators for US warships. The other "moving sidewalk" as some folks call them are actually called "travelators".
I was in the US Navy between 1977 and 1983 on a glorified destroyer CG-21and I learned something New today. I did not know that some aircraft carriers had escalators installed for the pilots. Wow. It is good to learn something new.
You know how the Tico's came about?
I'm from Cherry Hill NJ, nearby USS New Jersey in Camden. I served on Eisenhower and TR, neither of which had an escalator. Our ready rooms on those Nimitz Class boats were on '03, right beneath the flight deck. I served on Saratoga, which did have an escalator, which I thought was weird at the time.
Love these videos at Patriots Point, lived in Charleston South Carolina 2 years ago and I'm moving back in about a year. I was waiting to see content done at my most visited museum ship, and I'm really happy to see more than just 1 video coming out about this cool place
I was stationed on board the USS John F Kennedy and the USS Dwight D Eisenhower. Neither one of them had an escalator in them but they did have a personnel elevator extending from the second deck all the way up the island to the bridge. And the pilot ready rooms were on the O-3 level right below the armored flight deck.
Been to patriot point many times as well as a visit to uss North carolina
USS Hornet does indeed have an escalator leading up to the flight deck. Bolted on the exact same way it is on Yorktown. I always just assumed it was something that was added post service as part of turning it into a museum ship.
Exactly my thoughts when I visited USS Yorktown. I was somewhat disappointed that they didn‘t get them working for the visitors. :D
Thanks for promoting other museum ships.
I toured Yorktown in 1990 and I've wondered ever since if the escalators were used in action or added for the tourists after it was retired, thank you.
I remember first learning about the escalator use when I toured the Lexington a few years ago.
Hornet has one and I was surprised to see it but when they explained it to me it made perfect sense.
I recall that the USS Newport News had an escalator as well (source: my Dad served aboard her in the '50s, I have one of his cruise books) but I'm now wondering whether the other Des Moines had them as well -- and what was the military purpose for an escalator on a heavy cruiser?
I spent 3 years on the USS Independence (CV-62), and it had an escalator (I only knew of one). Even among "Indy" veterans much older than me, not many people can recall it ever working.
Never worked lol
I remeber taking a tour of USS JFK as a kid when she was in drydock in philly. After hours of climbing ladders finding that escalator completely blew my mind.
It's been a while since pilots had to wear a parachute, though some trainer type aircraft still in use like the T-38 have been around longer than a while so there are exceptions.
You’re right, most aircraft that have ejection seats no longer requires the pilots to wear their parachutes out to the airplane since the parachute is now included as part of the seat. The pilot still wears a harness out to the plane which attaches to the ejection seat.
The T-38 was upgraded relatively recently with a much more capable ejection seat which also includes the self contained parachute.
@@arcticflyer4017 Supposedly all the T-38s got upgraded by 2013 but if you look at C.W. Lemoine's channel there's a video about their final flights in the T-38 that happened with the last few months and those sure look like parachutes they are wearing.
@@krtwoodYep, those sure are parachutes and I stand corrected! The vast majority of the fleet are C-models used for pilot training and they receive funding for upgrades but there are a few small units in the Air Force using older models for various purposes.
I was just on the USS Lexington last week and I thought it was added to help tourist get up and down, I didn't think it was originally put there for pilots.
I was on the Intrepid and Lexington so I've seen the escalator, and even walked up the Intrepids.
I have seen and been on the escalator on the USS Intrepid in NYC
We had escalators on the Constellation as well. Almost 2 years sea time on her and I only saw them work twice.
Got to spend the night on this one with the scouts out of Tennessee. Never got to see the escalator though.
The supers, certainly the Forrestals, had 2 escalators. They ran from 2nd deck to O-3 level. The pilots had priority as there were some ready rooms on 2nd deck. A lot of us used them when we were going topside to catch some rays. A lot easier than climbing all those ladders. Ranger's aft escalator was always having mechanical problems.
Forrestal's escalators worked, at least in '89-91 when I did 2 deployments. However, we were warned that if we were caught using them, not being pilots, we could get a serious arse-chewing, so we never tried.
I don't remember the Ranger having an escalator , unless they were added after 1980 . Thank You
@@henrycarlson7514 Yep. They were on the port side. One of them was near the aft mess decks; the other was near the forward mess decks. They were both accessed off the main port passageway. The upper access was at the O-3 and there was a door opening to the catwalk about 1/2 way between the bow and the angle. I never used the aft escalator, so couldn't tell you where it came out on the O-3. Probably direct access to the catwalk. Both were primarily intended for the use of pilots who's ready rooms were on 2nd deck.
@@johnslaughter5475 Thank You
I'm active Navy, served on USS Ronald Reagan CVN-76 and USS John C. Stennis, neither have escalators anymore as the ready rooms are now under the flight deck again. Nor did any have personal elevators on them.
I went to the Intrepid and I was surprised at how tiny it was. That being said, I'm large compared to the sailors that would have occupied many of these ships. (6'2", 270lbs at the time). I also toured the submarine right next to it and suffice to say, that was tiny for me, but I fit through the hatches relatively easily.
I've worked in some strange and tight environments, so I understood that you have to be careful not to whack your head. The bulkheads aren't exactly soft or forgiving. 🤣
I'm a big guy too. I've toured Alabama & Drum. Some experience climbing through attics was useful for Drum.
Been on the Lexington many times in my life and love it. A school trip to the Lex is ultimately what led to me joining the Marine Corps upon graduation.
Congratulations to you and your crew Mr. curator! Battleship New Jersey finally did it! 100,000 subscribers!
USS Lexington in Corpus has the exact same escalator, always wondered why.
I look forward to visiting one of these museums one day
I don’t remember seeing one at intrepid but I’m going to look for it on my next trip.
I'm going to be starting a new job soon working on the Hornet in Alameda, so I'm like "boy, that looks familiar..."
I visited Lexington and was stunned to find out it has an escalator. I found out that it's for pilots who were loaded down with heavy flight gear and can hardly walk on flat deck in pitching seas, let alone climb up steep ladders.
That's cool! Never thought of that!
I was very surprised to see the escalator when I visited Lexington.
At first we thought it was addition for the visitors making the tour a bit easier
Saw the one on Hornet 20 years ago. No one explained why they had it, and never thought about it. Thought maybe the Admiral had bad knees or something.
An escalator on a carrier ! We live and learn.
Almost 100K subs!!!
I have pictures of the escalator on the Oriskany when she was in Corpus Christi being prepped for reefing.
Unfortunately Florida is almost devoid of museum ships for the moment, few USCG cutters and the USS Oriskany artificial reef, that's pretty much it down here.
Love Yorktown been aboard her numerous times. Never knew that was the purpose of the escalator though. I always though that was something the museum added. XD
Been to Lexington twice, was a bit put off by an escalator.
i was a elevator mechanic for 28 years. i would have loved to work on that escalator !!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
That's really interesting! I've been to the Midway and the intrepid, and I don't think they had them, because I'm sure I would have remembered it had I seen them.
I remember the 2 aboard USS Kitty Hawk - but there were NONE aboard Nimitz-class boats . Walking from the PR Shop to Flight Deck wasn't THAT bad
3.5 years on Truman CVN-75, never found an escalator there and I was everywhere from keel to O-8 level and bow to stern.
Lexington has the same escalator. I was slightly disappointed it didn’t run anymore. Still, getting to tour the ship was an amazing experience.
She was my first ship in '88
Really don't remember if she ran while I was onboard.
@@philipedwards241 I got approached by a Navy recruiter once. In the end I decided to join the Army. The idea of being trapped below decks, rarely if ever seeing the sun was just horrifying to me. I love touring the ships. I love reading about the technology and the stories etc. However I just couldn’t bear the idea of being trapped in a confined space below decks rarely ever seeing the sun. I don’t know how you guys did it.
Nimitz class carriers don't have escalators and neither do the Ford class, I believe. Ready rooms are on the O-3 level immediately below the flight deck as opposed to the 2 deck below the hangar bay. I deployed to the Med on the Independence and much of the time the escalators didn't work. Poor reliability and heavy maintenance requirements are the most likely cause of their removal from later platforms. The additional weight was a negative as well.
Wonderful short and informative video. Thank you Ryan! ☺ I appreciate the complete listing of the Museum Aircraft Carriers. Hope to make it up to see the USS South Carolina and Patriots Point, one day.
I've been on USS Hornet and USS Lexington and seen their escalators. My next vacation will be a cross country road trip for my honeymoon. After watching your channel USS New Jersey is on my list of places to stop. The only battleship I've been on is USS Texas.
If you're coming all the way across country the USS Intrepid in NYC is not too far from New Jersey. Also if you want to add another day I really recommend going to Battleship Cove in Fall River. The USS Massachusetts is the crown jewel of their collection but they have a number of other interesting ships including an East German missile destroyer.
Forestall class had them on the port side from the hanger bay up to the 03 level. Crews barbershop was at the top left outboard on the Indy. Never meet anyone who ever saw it working! Nimitz class and newer did not have them.
Got to visit the Yorktown two weeks ago, I also had the opportunity to meet Ryan in the hangar bay that day. Very nice to meet you sir! I served on Ranger (84-86) and Constellation (93-95) as a Signalman. We always used both forward and aft escalators when leaving the mess decks as a quick way to get to the 03 level, even though we still had to climb six more ladders to reach the 09/010 Signal Bridge. Rangers escalators were always working after we left Bremerton shipyard in 1985. When the ship was inport, the aft mess decks had the scullery line where you put your dirty mess tray and utensils right next to the aft escalator. I used to ride up the escalator and then out onto the flight deck by the arresting wires, for a pleasant walk with a spectacular view of downtown San Diego. On Connie, our escalators never worked, even though we had just come from a three year yard overhaul in Philadelphia. But we still used that quick access to our berthing, which was 02 level under the angle deck. I remember the pilots walking slowly up the escalators with their flights suits and helmets on. Great memories and good ships both! Lance Schoenbaum SMC USN Retired.
These videos of other museum ships are great previews for those of us wanting to tour all these ships but don't have the time and money to get to all of them right away.
An interesting feature of the carrier escalators is that they could run up or down. Sometimes, as a regular crewman onboard the Ranger, I would find myself close to the end of the ride when a pilot, with priority, would throw the switch that reversed the direction of travel. I would have to ride the escalator back to the other end, wait for the pilot to finish his ride, and then try to complete my trip again.
What's the most times you ever had to repeat your trip?
@@cattraknoff He's still there, waiting to get up to the flight deck.
I’ve been on the Yorktown, always wondered why that was there. Great vid as always. Just wondering last time I was there they had the Clamaglore (I think that’s how you spell it) closed, asked the person at the ticket booth and they had no idea and I figured you had talked to the curator at Patriot’s Point that they would probably know why.
USS Enterprise (CVN65) did not have an escalator as the ready rooms were on the O3 level just below the flight deck.
I was on there 01-03 I don’t remember ever seeing an escalator, but I do vaguely remember an elevator (like a normal elevator for people) below decks somewhere. I never saw anyone use it and was told it didn’t work.
@@cmcb7230 There was an elevator that went up the island from the O3 just outside ECC near the museum to the O10 near the captain's at sea cabin. It was generally off limits except to the Captain and the Admiral.
Wow, this video escalated quickly.
It's always better to esca-late than never!
We had one on the Constellation.
"An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience."
Mitch Hedberg
There was a Chinese one that ate someone once. I'm pretty sure she actually died. It was "working" but I don't think they're intended to eat you.
That is great; I didn't know that the engineers put escalators on aircraft carriers. When I was a kid and lived in the City of Long Beach, CA my folks would take my brother and me to visit various Naval ships when they arrived in port. I never saw an escalator on any of them. Thank you Ryan for exposing them to me; it would certainly make life on board a lot better and more efficient. Keep up the good work.
Wow, I always thought that was added after being a museum ship just like the elevator shack on the flight deck. As always thanks for the video!
Uss ranger had a escalator. I got to do a unsanctioned tour of her before she was scrapped.
Is there a paper or canvas map with all the museum ships marked on it, for purchase?
The only one I’ve been to so far has been the Wisconsin, in Norfork Virginia.
Escalators?
Do they think this is the Air Force?
I remember Lexington’s. It has fun facts about the ship all the way down
I remember going to intrepid and wondering why there was a escalator but now I know.
First time I heard about escalators on carriers was when I read “The Bridges at To-Ko-Ri”. BTW, I was surprised that the Navy let them film the movie version in the 1950s without making them change the ending
The Bridges at Toko-Ri was a good movie.
the Bunker Hill was one of the reasons for this change, many pilots died in their readyrooms
Along with the USS Benjamin Franklin.
well, that escalated quickly ;-D
Been on that very escalator on Yorktown. Slept aboard her several times with the scouts. It’s less than 4 hours from me here in the Upstate of SC.
I was on the midway last week, no escalator on that old girl
Been toy Yorktown a few times and if I remember correctly they had/may still have the escalator closed off because a kid had slid down the side rails of it and injured himself and thus seen as a saftey issue.
Sounds like it was a fun idea, too bad his execution failed and ruined the slide for everyone.
This is for the pilots who are kitted out with parachute rigs, g suits, life vests, etc.
I never saw any escalator on CVN-71. Our ready room was right under the flight deck.
Iowa had temporary elevators installed for FDR on his trip to Tehran in 1943
So who here as heard of the time the USS Coral Sea lost one of her Elevators at sea?
Lexington was fitted with one.
What is to stop liquid fuel from some catastrophe from instantly running down several decks?
Since Yorktown is the second of the class, would you say she’s the closest you’ll get to Essex herself?
Actually that's Lexington as her keel was laid down before CV 10 by a few months or so. The ship order isn't by keel laying date but by date of commission. In terms of design however she did recieve both sbc 27 and sbc 125 conversions, no modifications for a Training ship, served a similar length of time. Was a asw carrier like essex after her second modification And even participated in the nasa recovery force as did Essex.
A people mover down the middle of Broadway would be a rather bumpy ride, what with all the knee knockers and all.
I’ve been on the USS Intrepid and did not see a escalator at all.
were these maintained by the crew? or did they have to fly out specialists from the manufacturers?
can you do a video on the tying down an aircraft?
I served on 5 carriers in my 20 years serving with the US Navy. John F Kennedy(CVA 67), Midway, Hancock, America & Nimitz. Only Hancock had an escalator. Just like on Yorktown. Anyone officer or enlisted could use it.The squadron ready rooms were on the third deck just below the hangar on Hancock. On JFK,Nimitz and America the Squadron ready rooms were on the 03 level just below the flight deck. On Midway the ready rooms were on the 02 level just below the flight deck. The Forrestal class carriers were built with escalators installed. Kitty Hawk and Constellation also were built with escalators installed...not as an add on. Thanks for posting!
Interesting fact. I did not know this. Thank you. I haven't been on an aircraft carrier, but I did go see the Missouri when I was in Hawaii. Pretty cool I must say.
CV-63 USS KITTY HAWK did have an escalator from the 2nd Deck to the 03 Level, for the same original purpose of getting aviators manning their aircraft up to the Flight Deck in an expeditious manner. Sadly, she is being scrapped.
the USS Nimitz(CVN-68) class does not have them, the RR and Officer staterooms are on the 03 level. I've been on a few Nimitz class and I have also been on the Lexington(CV-2). I can't remember if the blue ghost had one on her.
“Battle Rattle” love it!
The Forrestall class carrier had a escalator
Was on CV62, 63 and 64. Escalators never worked. CVN68 class does not have them (at least NIMITZ didn't)
Ryan, i think you should work to get us a museum ship here in the middle of the good ol USA!! You can even come be our curator!! Im thinking... maybe a super carrier or an Iowa... 2 on either side. We should get one here!!! Don't you think so? 😁😁😁😜😜😜